Guide
Record your Mac screen
with automatic zoom.
Record a display, window or area with palmscreen and click as usual. The app adds zooms based on your clicks. You can move, resize or remove each zoom on the timeline before you export.
14 days, everything included · macOS 15+ · No account
Before you start
Install palmscreen and allow screen recording in macOS before your first take.
A Mac with macOS 15 or later
palmscreen runs on macOS 15 and newer. The app itself is in English.
palmscreen, installed
Download it and drag it into your Applications folder. No account needed.
Screen Recording permission
macOS asks for it the first time. Camera and microphone only if you use them.
Step 1
Choose what to record
Open the recording bar from the menu bar or press Control-Command-Return. Choose a whole display, a single window or an area you drag out on screen.
Turn on what you need: your microphone for a voice-over, system audio for app sounds, and your camera if you want to appear in a bubble. palmscreen remembers your choice for next time.
- Display, window or area
- Microphone, system audio and camera
- Countdown of 3, 5 or 10 seconds
Step 2
Record and click as usual
Press Control-Command-Return again or click Start. Then work as you normally would: open menus, click buttons, type. You don't need to slow down or point at things.
palmscreen notes where you click and later zooms in just before each click. Need a break? Pause with Option-Command-P; the pause is cut out of the video automatically.
- Zooms are created from your clicks
- Pause and resume without a cut
- Restart a take with one click
Step 3
Fine-tune the zooms
When you stop, the editor opens with your recording and its zooms on the timeline. Play it back to check whether the zooms draw attention to the right places.
Drag a zoom to move it, pull its edges to make it longer or shorter, or delete it. Set how far it zooms, from 1.1× to 4×, and whether it follows the cursor or holds still. Trim the beginning and end, or split the clip and remove a part in the middle.
- Zoom strength from 1.1× to 4×
- Follow the cursor or hold a fixed spot
- Undo and redo every change
Step 4
Make the cursor easy to follow
palmscreen records the cursor separately, so you can change it afterwards. Make it bigger so it's easy to spot, and smooth its path so shaky movements look calm.
Add a ripple or a small press effect to every click, and hide the cursor when it hasn't moved for a while.
- Cursor size from 0.5× to 8×
- Three smoothing levels, or off
- Ripple and press effects on clicks
Step 5
Choose a background and format
Choose a gradient, a single color or your own image. Adjust the padding, the corner radius and the shadow until it looks right.
Then pick the format for where the video is going: 16:9 for YouTube and slides, 1:1 or 4:5 for feeds, 9:16 for stories and reels. If you recorded your camera, choose where the bubble sits and how big it is.
- Gradients, colors or your own image
- Aspect ratios from 16:9 to 9:16
- Camera bubble in eight positions
Step 6
Export your video
Press Command-E and choose a format: MP4 for the web and social media, ProRes for further editing in a video app, or GIF for short loops in docs and changelogs.
Pick the resolution and frame rate to see an estimated file size before you export. Keep the editable project if you want to export another version later.
- MP4 (H.264 or HEVC), ProRes or GIF
- Up to 4K and 60 fps
- Project stays editable
Tips for a better first recording
Use a countdown
A 3-second countdown gives you time to get your hands on the mouse before anything is recorded.
Record a window, not the whole screen
A window recording leaves out notifications and your desktop, and it follows the window if you move it.
Click with purpose
Zooms come from clicks. Avoid clicking around while you think; pause instead with Option-Command-P.
Start over if it goes wrong
Restart throws away the current take and starts again with the same settings. No cleanup needed.
Questions about recording
Can I turn off the automatic zoom?
Yes. Delete single zooms on the timeline or remove all of them at once. You can also add zooms by hand wherever you like.
Can I add a voice-over later?
Not in palmscreen. Record your voice while you record the screen, or export the video and add the voice in a video app.
Can I cut out a part in the middle?
Yes. Split the clip on the timeline where the part starts and ends, then delete it.
Can I change the keyboard shortcuts?
The defaults are Control-Command-Return to start and stop and Option-Command-P to pause. You can change them in the settings.